Heel seat fitting machine



March 1, 1932. w. R. BARCLAY ET A1.

HEEL SEAT FITTING MACHINE Filed May 1o., 1928 4 q. on 2 mgm/w. nm e E m w, 4 H w WVM@ for this purpose.

Patented Mar. 1, 1932v i UnirseA sraresk PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM. RODERICK BARCLAY V.AND FRED RIGKS, 0F LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY- CORCEORTUN, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A GOB PGRATION OF NEW JERSEY HEEL snai* FITTING MACHINE Application led May l0, 1928, Serial No. 276,580, and in Great Britain October 10, 1927.

the breast surface of the heel and secured More specificall ly, the-present invention relates to machines thereto at its breast corners.

for forming su'ch tabs and contemplates the provision of a machine of improve( design In machines as heretofore constructed, wherein the portion of the soie area constituting the tabs is matrix-shaped preliminarily to the cutting operation, the knife has traveled in a heelward direction toward the thin end ofthe tab. Such a machine is disclosed, for example, in United States Letters vPatent No. 1,783,212, granted December 2, 1930, on our application. As distinguished from that type of machine, the present invention contemplates a construction characterized byl members for clamping t-he material of the sole adiacent to the rootof the heel seat portion to form bulgcd portions of 'the sole and Y cutting means movable in a toeWard direction rranged to enter the bnlged portions to form tabs at the heel Vseat per tion of the sole. A machine organized in this manner possesses advantages in compactncss of construction and accuracy of operation Which are of iinportance from the practical standpoint.

The invention also contemplates, as an important featnre, an improved matrix-shaping element, comprising a die having spaced mat-rin surfaces, each with a portion disposed in the path ofa cutting knife and thus determining` the point of emergence of the knife from the sole at the thick end of the tab. rlf'he die is herein shown as pivotaliymounted and curateiy to shape to the desired configuration the portions of the sole from which the tabs are cut.

To insure a clean cut entrance of the knife at the surface of the sole, it is proposed, in accordance with another feature of the invention, to subject a portion of the sole to compressicnbetwecn gripping members, one of which has a defined edge. The gripping members are so shaped and located. as to releasethe compression of the sole and permit the material thereof to bulge in an abrupt shoulder past such defined edge. The knife thereupon enters the sole at a favorable angle through the surface included in the shoulder.

The invention also includes Within its scope thenovel method of treating a sole herein shown as carried out by cooperating gripping members and knife. organized in the manner set forth.

These and other features of the invention Will be best understood and appreciated from the following description ofa preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shoWn in the accompanying drawings, in which y Y Fig. 1 is a plan View of the machine With certain parts broken away;

` Fig. 2 is a vien7 in side elevation, partly in section, of the sole-shaping members `and knife with the sole positioned for the cutting operation;

Fig. 3 is a View in perspectivel of the operating parts of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a View in side elevation, partly in section; and

Fig. 5 is a View in perspective of the rear end of a soie after it has been operated upon byy the illustrated machine.

Before proceeding to a description of the machine, it will be convenient to refer to F ig. 5, from an inspection of Which the condition ofthe sole coming to the machine and the operation' performed upon it by the machine Will be apparent. The first step in preparing the heel-seat of the sole 100 for the reception of 'a Louis heel consists in splitting a iiap or leaf 102 from the grain side thereof. This flap extends for the full Width of the heelfseat and longitudinally toa point forward of the breast line. In the finished shoe, it is adapted to be laid against the breast surface of the heel and to form a smooth con-v I UU tinuous surface merging into the shank surface of the sole. The heel-seat end of the sole beneath t ie flap 102 is then narrowed or reduced to form a tongue 104, with an edge surface tapering away from the flesh side of the sole and toward the split surface shown as exposed in 5. rlhe tongue is shaped by cutting a horseshoe-shaped trimming 106 which is not completely severed from the sole but remains attached to it adjacent to the root of the tongue 104. rlhe formation of the flap 102 and the tongue 104 on the sole may be referred to as previously tting the sole and are carried out by any commercial machine available for the purpose and the sole in the condition just described comes to the machine of rour invention for further treatment.

The tapered tabs 108 are formed of the material of the sole at the root of the horseshoeshaped trimming' 106 by cuts 107 entering the sole at its split surface in slightly convergent and oppositely disposed relation and extending obliquelyY in a toe-ward direction, emerging from the lower flesh surface of the sole, as shown in Fig. 5, in substantial alignment with each other. As will be apparent, it is important that the tabs 10S should be located accurately in alignment with each other widthwiser of the sole and it is also desirable that they 4should taper inwardly from their outer edge and lengthwise as well as flare somewhat toward their thin end portions, in order to lie more smoothly against and conform to the shape of the Louisheel breast. In F ig. ,the tab-forming cuts 107 are shown as not completely severing the horseshoeshaped trimming V106 butl leaving a small amount of material in `each corner of the base of the tongue 104. It will be apparent that by shifting the cuts 107 slightly, the trimming 106 could be completely severed and removed from the sole. The machine herein shown is adapted to sever the trimming 106 completely if desired, or to leave it lightly attached, in accordance with the requirements of the work in hand.

lt will be assumed that the sole, before it comes to the present machine, has been split to form` the breast flap 102 and that it has' been operated upon by such a machine as is described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,757,219, granted May 6, 1980, on the application of Ricks '5t Richards, to form the reduced heel-seat portion or tongue.

The illustrated machine comprises a base 10, adapted to be affixed to a bench or column in such a positionthat the operator can operate the machine and conveniently see the work while in process, the front of the machine being toward the left in the figures 'of the drawings.

The base l0 is provided with a. base plate 12, having its front edge 14 extending transversely across the machine and beveled on its under side to form a thin edge. Arranged Lely/,zee

to reciprocate longitudinally of the machine above the base plate 12- is a knife slide 16, connected through a link 18 to an actuating handle 20 disposed within convenient reach of the operator. The rear movement of the knife slide 16 is limited by a stop screw 22, mounted in an arm projecting rearwardly from the frame. The knife slide 16 carries a knife 24, sharpened by a single bevel on its lower side and arranged to travel upon and in contact with the plane upper surface of the base plate 16. The knife is rigidly secured in place upon the knife slide 16 by a clamping plate 26 and bolts 28, which are threaded into the knife slide.

Mounted in the lower front part of the base 10 is a plunger 30, which is actuated vertically by a treadle through a lever 32 and lever rod 34. The uppermost position of the plunger 30 is adjustably determined by a. stop screw 36, set in the frame of the machine and arranged to engage the rear end l of the operating lever 32 when the treadle is depressed to the limit.

rl"he plunger 30 carriers at its upper end a die member 38, which is generally forked or U-shaped and pivotally mounted upon a horizontal pin 40, carried by a lug 42 located between the arms of the U-shaped member on top of the plunger 30. The die member 38 is arrangedto rock freely and is normally forced upwardly at its rear side by a compression spring 44 into a position in which its rear ends are somewhat higher than its front portion. The die member 38 carries at each side of the lug 42 and disposed upon its side arms a pair of hardened die plates or matrix members 46. The front end of each of these die plates is curved concentrically about the axis of the pivot pin 40, so that the vertical location of these surfaces shall not be affected by the angular movement of the die member 38 about its pivot pin.

The vertical movement of the plunger 30 is so adjusted that when the plunger is moved upwardly into operative position, the surface of the die plates 46 above the pivot pin 40 lies in the plane of the top surface of the base plate 12 and coincides with the plane of movement of the knife edge. The highest portions of these surfaces are arranged in a line parallel with the front edge of the base plate 12 and spaced in front thereof by a distance equal to the length of the tab that is to be formed in the sole.

Each die plate A46 extends rearwardly so as to come as far back but no further back than the front edge 14 of the base plate 12. The rearmost portions of the die plates 46` under the actuation vof the compression spring 44. are adapted when the plunger 30 is raised to engage and firmly grip areas in the sole located in the forward end of the sides of the horseshoe-shaped trimming 106. These areas areiirmlyrpressed against the under side of ies the-beveled portion ofthe baseplate 12 and the yielding movement of the die memberL die plates 46 is shaped to impart the desired contour to the talos. As herein shown, these surfaces are concave or sloped so as tomatriX- shape the material of the sole, in such manneras to cut the tabs with a thin longitudinal inner edge and tapering uniformly to' a. thick outer edge. The die plates 46 may be said to form effective matrix surfaces ext-ending longitudinally and transverselyv of thepath of ltheknife atanfangle` to the path, the two j plates as illustrated (Fig: 3) being inclined to each'jotlie'r. A

It will be apparent that the position. of the tabs longitudinally ofthe sole lis determined by th'ejposition in which the legs of the horseshoe-shaped trimming are gripped between the dieplates 46 and the base plate 12.v Tn order to gauge the sole correctly in .present ing it to the machine, va thin 'for'vardlypro is jecting` gauge blade 50-is mounted upon-the base'plate12. This isadapted to bear at the junction of the breast flap'and the body of the sole as the sole is pushed rearwardly into Thev blade 50 is located slightly above the level of the machine with the flap uppermost.

the'base plate12', so that the under surface of the sole below the root of the flap will be located substantially in the plane of the -top surface of the base plate 12. The gauge blade 4 plate 68, secured to the 4frame of the machine isarranged toswing the ba'r64. asthe yknife 50 is adjustable forwardly and rearwardly in the machine through a screw and-slot ccnnection 52 with the base plate 12, in order to accommodate soles split to different extents or to vary the location of the tabs. Preferably, the arrangement of th-e parts is such that the knife 24 will run out of thesole on the flesh surface thereof on linesY extending transversely somewhat forward of the root line of the tongue 104. The `knife 24 isprovided with a centrally locatedvrecess 25, so

thaty in its recipiocation it will clear `the gauge blade 50. n

It is-desirable that the legs of the horseshoe-shaped trimming 106, after they have l been gripped between the'die plates 46 and the base plate 12, should be pressed down into intimate contact with the die orinatrix surfaces before the knife 24 begins to operate. For this purpose, a presser roll is'associate'd with each die member and arranged to'beadl vanced into operative position simultaneous ly with the movement of the knife and in advance there-of. Thejknifeslide'16 carries at each edge an upstanding bracket upon 'y which is -pivoted,-on an eccentric pin 62,-'a g Arocking bar 64`extending forward-ly and rearwardly' of the machine and carrying a cam roll 66 at its-rear end. A stationary cam mallyelevated byfa compression spring` :.7 2 y which acts always. to swing `there'ar endof the bar 64 downwardly and hold the acam roll:

66 in contact with the stationary camf68g;

The-front end of thefbar 64 is provided with a `boss 74, into which isserewed a hol-1. y

low rod 7 6 having at its' upper `end a knurled head 78, by the turningfofwhich the ver-1 tical position of thelrod176 can be'adjusted. Mounted within the .hollow rod7 6 is -a plung-.f er 80,l` the upper end :ofwhich is reduced toV pass freely through a small holein the upper end of the rod 76 ian'drisrprovided with a threaded nut 82.' A spring. within the' rod 76 normally presses the plunger downwardly until the nut 82 engages with-theknurled, head 78. This arrangement permits'` the; plunger to yield upwardlyand, atthe same time, by turning the=knurled head 178,' the plunger may be'bodily adjusted without affecting its tension; r v

The lower end ofthe plunger 8O is pro vided with a head84 whichcarries the hori` zontal aXis for thepresserrolll 70. The-axis of the roll is disposed parallel to the knife'l edge and is located laterally so as to position the roll 70 directly above one `leg of the horseshoeshaped' trimming. If, `as pre-v ferred, thel die plates 46 areV formed to provide tabs taperinglaterally of the' sole,the presser rolls 70 may be shaped'with a cor-- responding taper. The stationary cam 68'is` so shapedthat the presser rolls`7() will bev moved down into contact with the worklr just beforefthe cutting edge of the knife reaches the latteri Itv will beunderstood that the rollers runupon the Vflap 102 'and act upon the legs of the trimming 104 through the medium of the latter.l

In order that the knife24-1shall enter the Y work in a clean, well-defined cut immediately in front of the front edge 14 of the base plate 12"and-in order to counteract any tendency .ofthe knife to displace the -work ratherthan;

` entering the work. We have found that an upwardbulgefof five to :ten thousandthsof an inch is'sufiici'ent to insure-the desired results.

The lmethod of treating soles in the mannerabove outlined,-as already-pointed out, is believed-tobe broadly --newg Theplate l12 and the die plates 46 constitute cooperating sole gripping members which subjectthe sole to compression over an area adjacent tothe edge 14- ofthe plate'12. The edge. 14 of the Y plate" is defined toy impart jthe desired; con- Y too ios

izo

iso

.30; member is rocked about the pivot pin un,-

sole. The sole being positioned as above eX- ;45, tion through the material of thesole, emerg- '52 widthwise of the tab to a thick outer edge,

tour to the material of the .sole pressed against it. At the edge 14, the compression of the sole is released and consequently the material yof the sole bulges upwardly in a shallow but abrupt shoulder contiguous tothe edge 14 and coeXtensive therewith. The knife 24, moving at an acute angle to theV general plane of the sole surface, encounters this shoulder and entersthe sole through the surface included in the shoulder and substantially at the base thereof.

The 'operation of the machine will be apparent from tlieforegoing description but for convenience may be summarized as follows. A sole is presented tothe machinewith i the grain side uppermost and the. heel end `toward the rear. The `flap 102 is positioned to lie above the base plate and the knife and gauge blade 50. yThe horseshoe-shaped trimming 106 is positioned'above the die plates 46'and underneath the base vplate 12, and` the tongue 104V is either turnedl downwardly in front of the die member of passed into the space between the die plates'46. The treadle is then depressed so thattlie legs of the horseshoefshaped trimming 106i are gripped between the rear portions of the die plates 46 and the front edge 14 of the base plate. Upon further depression of the treadle, the die til` the die platesY assume a rearwardly` inclined position and their surfaces slope downwardly from the higher concentric portion thereof. The knife 24 is Atlien moved Vforwardly through the handle 20 by the? operator, the two presser rolls travelling slightly in advance thereof and cooperating with the die to bend or twist the vtrimming* at thc bulged portion thereof transversely of the plained, the knife 24 enters the legs of the horseshoe-shaped trimming as they are bulged upwardly in front of the edge 14 and cuts progressively obliquelyin a toe-ward .direcing at the concentric surfaces of the die plates 46,'which act to some extent as'shear blades for the knife. In thisoperation, the horse-A shoe-shaped trimming'106 is severed except` for a slight connection at each side of the tongue, and tabs are formed at the root of the tongue each having a long 'uniform bevel lonfritudinall of the sole and a thin longi- 'o tudinal inner edge tapering uniformly pletely severed,the location of the tab-forming cuts canbe shifted to affect the desired.

1. A heel-seat fitting machine, having inv combination cooperating members for engaging the opposite surfacesof a sole having a reducedV heel-seat portion, constructed and arranged to clamp the material of the sole adjacent to the root of the heel-seat portion and to vform bulged portions in the sole, a presser arranged to engage the bulged por.- tions for cooperating with one of said meinbers-in compressing the sole, and tab cutting knives movable in a toe-ward direction' arranged to enter the bulged portions to form tabs at the heel-seat portion of the sole.

2. A heel-seat fitting machine, having in combination a knife movable in a predetermined path, and dies for engaging the lateral portions of a sole having a reduced heel-seat portion, each of said dies having a curved portion arranged to be positioned tangentially to the path of said knife and an effective surface extending therefrom at an angle` Y to the path, both longitudinally and transversely of the path, for supporting a sole and for cooperating with the knife to form a tab upon the sole. V

3. A heel-seat "fitting machine, having in combination a tab cutting knife movable Vin a predetermined path, and a die mounted for angular movement about a transverse axis and having the highest point in its surface disposed in the path ofthe knife.

4. A heel-seat litting machine, having in combination a tab cutting knife movable in a rectilinear path, and a pair of dies having their effective surfaces inclined to the path of the knife and to each other and having portions extending into the path of the knife.

5. A heel-seat fitting machine, having in combination a knife movable in a predetermined path, and sole locating means including a plunger movable transversely with respect to the pathof the knife and carrying a pivotally mounted die member.

'6. A heel-seat fitting machine, having in combination a'knife movable in a predetermined path, and sole locating means including a plunger movable toward the path of the knife and carrying a die pivotally supported atone edge and arranged to assume an inclined position with reference to the path of the knife by pressure of a sole thereon.

"7. Ay heel-seat fitting machine, having in combination a knife movable in a predetermined path, aA pivotally supported die for locating a sole in the path of the knife, and presser means movable with the knife and acting through the sole to establish the operative angular position of the die.

8. A heel-seat fitting machine, having in combination a knife movable in a predetermined path, a die movable bodily toward the path ofthe knife and also angularly about a transverse axis, and yielding means for opposing such angular movement.

9. Aheel-seat fitting machine, having in combination a tab cutting knife movable in a predetermined path-,and sole locatingmeans including a support for engaging one surface of a sole, and a die movable to engage the other surface ofthe sole and being pivotally mounted and yieldingly positioned to engage the sole first adjacent to the support and then to assume a different angular position with reference to the path of the knife.

10. A heel-seat fitting machine, having inl combination a supporthaving a sole locating edge, a knife movable over the surface of the support, and a die plate the lateral portions of which are raised relatively to the central portions thereof constructed and arranged to press a sole obliquely against the edge of the 39e support and being shaped to bulge the Work upwardly at said edge andn to cause the sole to bend widthwise thereofinto the path` of the knife to a shape corresponding to the shape of the die plate.

11. A heel-seat fitting machine, having in combination a forked sole support, a sole locating gauge acting between the `branches of the support, and a tab cutting knife cooperating with said support.

12. v A heel-seat fitting machine, having in combination means for supporting a solel at separate` areas at the sides of its heel-seat, al

solelocating gauge acting between the supported areas of the sole; and tabv cutting knives arranged to act upon the supported portions of the heel-seat.

13. A heel-seat fitting machine, having in combination means for supportingand distorting a sole to form a bulge therein, a gauge arrangedv to position the sole relatively to said means. and a knife movable over the gauge and having a recess formed in its edge to permit the passage of the gauge while the knife acts upon the bulged portion of the sole to form tabs thereon.

14. A heel-seat fitting machine, having in combination a sole support, a.l knife mounted for sliding movement relatively tothe support andconstructed and yarranged to sever from the sole portionsfon opposite sides of a reduc-ed heel-seat portion of the sole to form tabs at opposite sides ofthe reduced heelseat portion, a presser roll mounted for movement with said knifeand means for automatically operating the presser roll toward the knife to engage the sole ahead of the port and constructed and arranged to sever" from the sole portions on opposite sides of a reduced heel-seat portion of the sole to form tabs at opposite sides of the reduced heel-seat portion, a presser lever arranged for movement with the knife, a presser roll'car'ried by the lever inv advance of the knife, and a cam for swinging the lever to force the presser roll upon the work as thev knife is advanced for the cutting operation. Y

16. A heel-seat fitting machine, having in combination a sole support having spaced die surfaces, a single knife movable in a path adjacent to said surfaces to out a pair of tabs simultaneously in cooperation therewith, and independently mounted presser rolls movable to conform separate sole areas to said die surfaces in advance of the cutting operation.

17. A heel-seat fitting machine, having inV combination a support having a die surface, means for separating the flap of asplit sole from the body thereof when the sole is presented to said support, and a presser roll movable first in a path above the flap and then into engagement therewith to press the sole into conformity with the die surface.

18. A heel-seat fitting machine, having in combination a die member, a thin plate adjacent thereto for separating the flap of` a split sole from the body thereof when the sole is presented to the die member, a presserl'roll normally located above said thin plate, means for moving said presser roll downwardly to press the sole against the die member, and a knife movable along the surface of said plate to enter the sole at the edge thereof.

19. A heel-seat fitting machine, having in combination a thin edge plate arranged to engage a sole with one of its surfaces, aj knife movable upon the other surface of the plate and passing off of the edge thereof, and pivotally mounted means acting upon theV sole. to bulge the material thereof past the edge of the plateV and into the path of said knife.,

E20. A heel-seat fitting machine, having in combination a plate having a plane surface and an intersecting beveled surface, a knife movable upon the plane surface of the plate, and means mounted for .rectilinear and pi ,votal movement relatively to the plate for 'forcing a sole against said beveled surface to bulge the material thereof past the edge of the plate and beyond its plane surface to form tabs on the sole.

21. A heel-seat fitting machine, having in combination a knife guiding plate, a knife movable thereon, a pivotally mounted die.

member movable to engage one surface of a sole adjacent to the edge of said plate tomatrix-shape a portion of the sole and to bulge the material of the sole beyond the edge of the plate and into the path of the knife movable thereon, and means arranged to press the bulged portion ofthe solel against the die during the movement of the knife.

` 22. A heel-seat fitting machine, having in combination sole distorting means, including a'member having a defined edge, for subjecting one portion of a sole to compression and releasing the sole from pressure beyond said edge'so that the material of the sole may bulge past the edge, and a knife movable across said edge and arranged to enter the distorted sole in the shoulder of the bulge to produce a tab which is gradually tapered across its width and along its length.

23. A heel-seat fitting machine, having in combination cooperating sole-gripping members one of which has a defined edge and the other of which has a Sole supporting die mounted for pivotal movement relatively to the said edge, said members being relatively movable to subject a portion of a sole to compression and so shaped as to release it from pressure beyond said edge, permitting the material of the sole to bulge past the edge, and a knife movable substantially at right angles to the direction of pressure to enter the sole along the line of the bulge.

24. A heel-seat fitting machine, having in combination means for gripping a sole to subject a portion thereof to compression, said means including a dened edge and also a sole supporting die mounted lfor rectilinear and pivotal movement relatively to said edge to cause a bulge on the portion of the sole supported on the die, and a knifemovable at an acute angle to the surface of the sole and arranged to enter the same at its bulged por` tion to form tabs upon the sole.

25. The method of producing tapered tabs at the heel-seat portion of a sole which consists in matrix-shaping a horseshoe-shaped trimming formed upon a previously fitted sole longitudinally of the sole to form a bulge intermediate the lengt-h of the trimming, twisting the trimming at the bulged portion transversely of the sole, and then causing a knife to enter the trimming at a line defined by the bulge to produce a matrix-shaped tab.

26. That improvement in methods of producing tapered tabs atthe heel-seat portion of a sole which consists in distorting' a horseshoe-shaped trimming formed upon the previously fitted sole longitudinally of the sole to produce a bulge intermediate the length. of the trimming, twisting the sides of the horseshoe-shaped trimming at the bulged portion transversely of the sole, and cutting through said bulged portion along a predetermined path to product tabs which are ta- Ypered gradually across their width and lengthwise thereof.

27. The method of producing tapered tabs rear/',289

at the heel-seat portion of a sole which consists in bulging the trim-ming formed upon a previously fitted sole longitudinally of the sole to form a bulge intermediate the length ofthe trimming, bending the trimming at the bulged portion transversely of the sole, and then causing a knife to enter the trimming at a line defined by the bulge to forma tab.

28. That method of producing tapered tabs at the heel-seat portion of a sole which consists in distorting a trimming formed upon a previously fitted shoe longitudinally of the sole to produce a bulge intermediate the length ofthe trimming by engaging opposite faces of the trimming, bending the trimming at the bulged portion transversely ofthe sole, and cutting through said bulged portion along a predetermined path to produce tabs which are gradually tapered across their width and lengthwise thereof.

29. A heel-seat fitting machine having, in combination, a knife movable in a predetermined path, means for distorting a trimming formed upon a previously fitted sole longitudinally and transversely ofthe sole to produce bulges intermediate the length of the trimming, and means for moving the knife to cooperate with said means in severing the trimming at its bulged portions to form upon they sole tabs which are gradually tapered across their width and Vlengthwise thereof.

' 30. A heel-seat fitting machine having, inv

combination, means for distorting a trimming formed upon a previously fitted sole longitudinally and transversely of the sole to produce a lbulge intermediate the length of the trimming, and a knife constructed and arranged to cooperate with said means in severing the trimming at its bulged portion to form upon the sole a tab which is gradually tapered across its entire width and lengthwise thereof.

31. A heel-seat fitting machine having, in combination, means for distorting a trimming formed upon a previously fitted sole longitudinally and transversely of the sole to produce a bulge intermediate the length of the trimming, said means including a member for engaging one surface of the sole and a 'die for engaging the opposite surface of the sole, and means for severing the trimming at the bulged portion thereof to form at the heel-seat portion of the sole a tab tapered across its entire width and lengthwise thereof. Y i

32. A heel-seat fitting machine having, in combination, a member for engaging one surface of a sole,v a die arranged to engage the opposite surface of the sole, said die and member being arranged for relative movement for distorting a trimming formed upon a previously fitted sole transversely and longitudinally of the sole to produce a bulge intermediate the length of the trimming, and

a knife constructed and arranged to coopershape to the supporting surfaces of each die ate with the die in severing the trimming at its bulged portion to form upon the sole a tab Which is gradually tapered across its Width degree determined by the shape of the supand lengthwise thereof.

33. A heel-seat fitting machine having, in combination, a knife movable in a predetermined path, a member arranged to engage a surface of a sole, a die arranged to engage the opposite surface of the sole and having a curved sole supporting portion arranged tangentially of the path of the yknife and an effective surface extending longitudinally and transversely of the path of the knife at an angle to said path for cooperating with the member to distort a trimming formed upon a previously fitted sole longitudinally and transversely of the sole to produce a bulge intermediate the length of the trimming, and means for moving the knife to sever the sole at the bulged portion to form upon the sole a tab which is gradually tapered across its Width and lengthwise thereof.

34. A heel-seat fitting machine having, in combination, a knife movable in a predetermined path, a member for engaging a surface of the sole, a die mounted for pivotal and rectilinear movement relatively to the member and arranged to engage the opposite surface of the sole, the member and the die being constructed and arranged to distort a horseshoe-shaped trimming formed upon a plate to insure that the sole is bent Width- Wise thereof into the path of the knife to a porting surfaces.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification.

WILLIAM RODERICK BARCLAY. 4FRED RICKS.

previously fitted sole longitudinally of the sole to produce bulges on opposite sides of the trimming, and means for moving the knife to cooperate with the die in severing the trimming at the bulged portions to form upon the sole tabs which are tapered across their Width and lengthwise thereof.

35. A heel-seat fitting machine having, in combination, a knife movable in a predetermined path, a die plate having a curved portion arranged to be positioned substantially tangentially of said path and having a solesupporting surface extending longitudinally and transversely of the path and inclined at an angle to said path for supporting a sole, a roll constructed and arranged to press the sole supported upon the die plate against the plate and to cooperate With the die plate for distorting the sole Widthvvise thereof as the knife moves in said path past the distorted y the member to cooperate With the edge for causing the sole to bend WidthWise thereof into the path of the knife, and a roll having a sole-engaging surface corresponding in 

